Learning

The psychology of learning has multiple facets that have been explored over the last two centuries. Today I'll be focusing on Classical Conditioning, the earliest theory of Learning.

Defining the Theory

Dogs and People are similar in their susceptibility to
Classic conditioning.

Classical conditioning happens when an object that is usually not associated with a certain sensation
becomes connected through repetitive presence with that sensation.

Ivan Pavlov performed an experiment for testing how much dogs salivate when they receive. He discovered that the anticipation of the food was enough for the dogs to salivate before they had actually received the food. Pavlov wondered if he could associate nontraditional stimuli with the food to trigger a similar response as with the natural stimuli. For his new experiment, Pavlov would pair the normal procedure of giving food to the dog with the sound of a bell each time. After this process was repeated frequently enough, Pavlov took away the food and began just ringing the bell, finding that the sound of the bell was enough to induce a salivating response from the dog.

Another experiment that shows Classical conditioning is the infamous "Little Albert" experiment, in which Dr.Watson conditions a child (named "Albert") to fear things that he once deeply loved:

The Model

There are specific terms that are used in this theory that may help novices understand it better.

• Neutral Stimulus: A stimulus that is ineffective at provoking a response (the bell before the experiment began)
• Unconditioned Stimulus: A stimulus that causes a natural automatic response (bringing the food to the dog)
• Unconditioned Response: A natural response to a stimulus that requires no training (salivating at the sight of food)
• Conditioned Stimulus: A neutral stimulus that is connected to an unconditioned stimulus through a repetitive presence (the bell after it was paired with the food)
• Conditioned Response: An artificial response that is constructed from a conditioned stimulus (salivating at the sound of the bell)

Personal Opinion

It is evident that the evidence backs up the science of this learning theory. I can also see examples of its occurrence in the real world, so I think it would be difficult to argue against it.

I notice that when I hear the sound of someone's ringtone on their cellphone that is the same (or even similar) as my own, I will automatically go to my bag to check for my phone even if the sound is coming from a distance.

Real World Application

The aspects of Classical conditioning can be used in the real world to teach children right from wrong. Just like the dog in Pavlov's experiment could be trained to salivate at the sound of a bell, children could be taught to respond positively to certain stimuli in a similar fashion. For example, if you always give the child a treat every time they clean up their messes, they will be quick to clean any type of mess at the sight of a treat even before you have to ask them to do so.



Sources

Canvas Chapter PDF